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Biographical details

Restricting climate change to the ?manageable range? will require significant energy conservation in the building sector. In developed countries buildings usually account for at least 40% of total energy consumption, and between 30 and 60% of this energy is used in the provision of indoor climate control for occupant comfort (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning). In New South Wales over 90% of office buildings and about 50% of homes now have air-conditioning. It seems clear that a transition towards an energy-efficient, low-carbon economy is going to impact comfort levels within built environments; all that remains to be answered is ?how much??

Over the last 31 years, Professor Richard de Dear has built a career in the area of human thermal comfort. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and a dozen books and monographs on the subject. Within that body of research it is his work on the ?adaptive model of thermal comfort? that has had the greatest impact, receiving over a thousand citations within the indoor environmental literature (and earning him an H Index of 19). De Dear?s adaptive model underpins the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers? thermal comfort standard, and several other national and international standards/codes are now evolving in similar directions, including most recently, the Netherlands and CEN. Countless ?green buildings? around the world have been engineered on the basis of the adaptive comfort model. Every year he receives several keynote lecture and visiting professor invitations to conferences or universities, especially across the Asia-Pacific region where his adaptive comfort model has had its greatest uptake.

Professional Experience

2009 | Associate Professor in Architectural Science, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney.

1991 | Environmental and Life Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney

2001-2004 | Adjunct Professor to the School of Architecture and Building, Deakin University, Geelong.

1987-1991 | Lecturer in climatology and environmental management, National University of Singapore.

1985-1987 | Research Associate in Professor P.O. Fanger?s indoor environment group, Technical University of Denmark, Laboratory of Heating and Air Conditioning.

Kim, J., de Dear, R. (2014). The effects of contextual differences on office workers' perception of indoor environment. Indoor Air 2014, The 13th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong.

Zhang, F., de Dear, R., Candido, C. (2014). Thermal Comfort during Direct Load Control Events in University Lecture Theatres. Indoor Air 2014, The 13th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong.

Kim, J., Deuble, M., Candido, C., de Dear, R. (2013). Thermal Comfort in a Large Property Portfolio: What can we do before surrendering to AC? CLIMA 2013: 11th REHVA World Congress and 8th International Conference on IAQVEC, Prague, Czech Republic: Society of Environmental Engineering.

de Dear, R., Candido, C. (2012). An Adaptive Thermal Comfort Policy for a Geographically Dispersed Property Portfolio; Deciding When and Where to Air-Condition in a Warm Climate Zone. 7th Windsor Conference, London, UK: Network for Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings.

Deuble, M., de Dear, R. (2011). Mixed-mode Buildings: A Double Standard in Comfort. The 12th International Conference on Indoor Quality and Climate (INDOOR AIR 2011), USA: International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

de Dear, R. (2011). Recent enhancements to the adaptive comfort standard in ASHRAE 55-2010. 45th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA 2011), Sydney, Australia: Faculty of Architecture Design and Planning, The University of Sydney.

de Dear, R. (2009). Thermal comfort in natural ventilation - a neurophysiological hypothesis. 43rd Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association ANZAScA 2009, Australia: University of Tasmania.

Knibbs, L., de Dear, R., Morawska, L., Atkinson, S. (2008). On-road quantification of the key characteristics of automobile HVAC systems in relation to in-cabin submicrometer particle pollution. The 11th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate (Indoor Air 2008), Denmark: International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

de Dear, R., White, S. (2008). Residential air conditioning, comfort and demand response. The 11th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate (Indoor Air 2008), Denmark: International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

de Dear, R. (2008). Thermal Comfort, Residential Air Conditioning and Peak Electricity Demand in Australia. International Symposium on the Interaction Human and Building Environment.

de Dear, R. (2007). Adaptive Comfort Applications in Australia and Impacts on Building Energy Consumption. 6th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings (IAQVEC 2007). Elsevier.

de Dear, R. (2006). Adaptive thermal comfort in building management and performance. Healthy Buildings 2006, United States: International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

Hart, M., de Dear, R., Hyde, R. (2004). A climatology of photochemical smog episodes in Sydney Australia. 13th Conference on the Applications of Air Pollution Meteorology with the Air and Waste Management Association, USA: Air and Waste Management Association.

Bergman, B., Morawska, L., de Dear, R., Cena, K. (2003). A review of quantitative approaches to linking human productivity to indoor air quality. CIB International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2003), Australia: Queensland University of Technology.

Hart, M., de Dear, R. (2002). The Impacts of outdoor weather on residential energy consumption. 36th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Architectural Association, Geelong: Deakin University Geelong.

Kim, J., de Dear, R. (2014). The effects of contextual differences on office workers' perception of indoor environment. Indoor Air 2014, The 13th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong.

Zhang, F., de Dear, R., Candido, C. (2014). Thermal Comfort during Direct Load Control Events in University Lecture Theatres. Indoor Air 2014, The 13th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong.

Kim, J., Deuble, M., Candido, C., de Dear, R. (2013). Thermal Comfort in a Large Property Portfolio: What can we do before surrendering to AC? CLIMA 2013: 11th REHVA World Congress and 8th International Conference on IAQVEC, Prague, Czech Republic: Society of Environmental Engineering.

de Dear, R., Candido, C. (2012). An Adaptive Thermal Comfort Policy for a Geographically Dispersed Property Portfolio; Deciding When and Where to Air-Condition in a Warm Climate Zone. 7th Windsor Conference, London, UK: Network for Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings.

Deuble, M., de Dear, R. (2011). Mixed-mode Buildings: A Double Standard in Comfort. The 12th International Conference on Indoor Quality and Climate (INDOOR AIR 2011), USA: International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

de Dear, R. (2011). Recent enhancements to the adaptive comfort standard in ASHRAE 55-2010. 45th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA 2011), Sydney, Australia: Faculty of Architecture Design and Planning, The University of Sydney.

de Dear, R. (2011). Revisiting an Old Hypothesis of Human Thermal Perception: Alliesthesia. Building Research and Information, 39(2), 108-117. [More Information]

de Dear, R. (2009). Thermal comfort in natural ventilation - a neurophysiological hypothesis. 43rd Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association ANZAScA 2009, Australia: University of Tasmania.

Knibbs, L., de Dear, R., Morawska, L., Atkinson, S. (2008). On-road quantification of the key characteristics of automobile HVAC systems in relation to in-cabin submicrometer particle pollution. The 11th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate (Indoor Air 2008), Denmark: International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

de Dear, R., White, S. (2008). Residential air conditioning, comfort and demand response. The 11th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate (Indoor Air 2008), Denmark: International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

Hart, M., de Dear, R., Beggs, P. (2007). A synoptic climatology of pollen concentrations during the six warmest months in Sydney, Australia. International Journal of Biometeorology, 51(3), 209-220. [More Information]

de Dear, R. (2007). Adaptive Comfort Applications in Australia and Impacts on Building Energy Consumption. 6th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation in Buildings (IAQVEC 2007). Elsevier.

Hart, M., de Dear, R., Hyde, R. (2004). A climatology of photochemical smog episodes in Sydney Australia. 13th Conference on the Applications of Air Pollution Meteorology with the Air and Waste Management Association, USA: Air and Waste Management Association.

Hart, M., de Dear, R. (2002). The Impacts of outdoor weather on residential energy consumption. 36th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Architectural Association, Geelong: Deakin University Geelong.